Cereal in breakfast good for the waistline

Women who favour cereal for breakfast tend to weigh less than their peers who opt for other breakfast foods or who skip the meal altogether. Whether cereal directly helps in weight control is unclear, but the fibre, vitamins and minerals in many boxed cereals may play a role. Researchers from the Michigan State University, USA, based their findings on results from a national health and nutrition survey of 4,218 adults. Out of these, 77 percent were breakfast eaters, 22 percent of whom favoured ready-to-eat cereals. It was found that among women, those who ate cereal were 30 percent less likely to be overweight than women who skipped breakfast, even when other factors, such as exercise and total calorie intake, were considered. Women who favoured other breakfast foods, however, were similar to their peers to skipped breakfast. Although it is not possible to conclude from the study that cereal, per se, helps in weight control but as compared with other breakfast eaters, cereal consumers ate more fibre and less fat - a dietary pattern that is linked to better weight control. In addition, calcium in milk, and often in cereals themselves, may be important since the mineral helps keep the body fat in check. Previous researchers have shown that skipping breakfast altogether may do more harm than good because people may make up for it by eating more calorie-laden, fat-filled snacks later in the day.